On Wednesday nights I have to put the kids to bed by myself since Shane's at church so late. I usually try to trick Shane into doing bath & bedtime by himself during the week (let's just say it's not my favorite part of the day), but on Wednesdays I just try to make the best of it. So tonight I put all three kids in Kallie's bed and read them a Bible story. Then we decided that each of us would pray for one thing. I announced that I would pray for school since we are in the first week here. Seth decided that he would pray that no one else in our family would get sick or injured (this was mainly for Kallie's benefit!). Kallie needed some guidance, so we decided that she would pray for missionaries, specifically for our friends Josh & Amy who are in Africa. And then Luke, of course, would just say thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Seth, Kallie, his friends, & Jesus.
So here's how it went:
Mommy prayed for school. Seth was next.
Seth: Dear Jesus, please keep us all well and please don't let anyone else get injured. And please don't let anyone in the air force get killed. (This was so sweet to me, because we visited the Air Force Museum a few weeks ago. I just know that he's probably been thinking about that since then.)
And then it was Kallie's turn. Remember, she's supposed to pray for the missionaries.
Kallie: Dear Jesus, I love my room so much. I love to pick out my own clothes and get myself dressed. And I love brushing my teeth and using mouthwash. Amen. (Seth rolled his eyes.)
(Amy, I promise I will pray for you guys tonight.)
Luke finished well. He just repeated his prayer after me while he squinted really hard. It was super cute. He gets really anxious for the ending because he LOVES to say "amen" as loud as he can.
It was a sweet time.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Vacation Part 4 - Mexico!
At last, it was time for our Carnival cruise to Mexico!!!!!!! We boarded the Holiday in Mobile, Alabama, spent two days at sea, one day in Progreso, and one day in Cozymel. The Holiday is the smallest of the Carnival fleet, but it felt enormous to us! We were very worried that Tropical Storm Fay would ruin our fun, but it ended up staying far away from us, and our weather was absolutely beautiful the whole trip!
Everyday we had a different towel animal on our bed. I thought they were super cute.
We visited some Mayan ruins in Progreso.
That's me...not sure what I'm doing with my arms...
This was called a "cenote" - it's a natural spring that comes from underground. One end is shallow and the other end is practically bottomless. Shane went swimming. I declined. I prefer lilly pad-less swimming.
One thing that Shane was really looking forward to about this trip was the fact that we wouldn't know a soul on the whole boat (there were 1800 people onboard). And that's exactly how it was the first two days. But on day three everything changed. They have a big show every night, and on the third night they had a guest talent show...which I thought sounded like a lot of fun! So I got up there and sang a song for them, and then the cruise director did a little interview with me afterwards, and I just happened to mention that Shane was a minister. Well, from that moment on we were celebrities. Between the live show and the reruns that aired on Carnival TV for the remainder of the trip, I think everyone onboard saw it. We couldn't go five minutes without someone coming up and talking to us, saying things like, "Hey, how's that song go again?" or "Hey, where's your church?" or telling us all about the problems at their church. Shane gave me a hard time about it all week, accusing me of ruining his peaceful trip...although I think he secretly enjoyed the attention, ha!
Day four was in Cozymel, and we found this private little all-inclusive beach resort that was PARADISE! I have never seen water so blue and so clear. We could wade shoulder-deep in the ocean and still see the shells on the bottom. It was so beautiful!
We took this little boat out to a coral reef to go snorkeling...
This was just a shot I took over the side of the boat. There were sooooo many tropical fish! We also saw dolphins, a few baracudas, and even a shark!
The little boat made me seasick though, so for most of it Shane snorkeled while I was lying down in the boat feeling like I was going to die. It wasn't fun. But the water & fish were amazing, so I was glad I got to enjoy it for a few minutes at least.
After the boat incident, I spent the rest of the day doing something like this...
This was at dinner on the ship. We ended up with a table to ourselves. We were supposed to have another couple with us, and they came one night, but then never came back. We must be bad company.
We took this cruise to celebrate our 10th anniversary. What a blessing it is to be married to Shane. He is one in a million. Things have been so crazy for us lately, and it was so nice to get away for a while alone. We decided that we're definitely not going to wait TEN YEARS to do it again! Mom and Dad, thank you so much for watching the kids for us!
Everyday we had a different towel animal on our bed. I thought they were super cute.
We visited some Mayan ruins in Progreso.
That's me...not sure what I'm doing with my arms...
This was called a "cenote" - it's a natural spring that comes from underground. One end is shallow and the other end is practically bottomless. Shane went swimming. I declined. I prefer lilly pad-less swimming.
One thing that Shane was really looking forward to about this trip was the fact that we wouldn't know a soul on the whole boat (there were 1800 people onboard). And that's exactly how it was the first two days. But on day three everything changed. They have a big show every night, and on the third night they had a guest talent show...which I thought sounded like a lot of fun! So I got up there and sang a song for them, and then the cruise director did a little interview with me afterwards, and I just happened to mention that Shane was a minister. Well, from that moment on we were celebrities. Between the live show and the reruns that aired on Carnival TV for the remainder of the trip, I think everyone onboard saw it. We couldn't go five minutes without someone coming up and talking to us, saying things like, "Hey, how's that song go again?" or "Hey, where's your church?" or telling us all about the problems at their church. Shane gave me a hard time about it all week, accusing me of ruining his peaceful trip...although I think he secretly enjoyed the attention, ha!
Day four was in Cozymel, and we found this private little all-inclusive beach resort that was PARADISE! I have never seen water so blue and so clear. We could wade shoulder-deep in the ocean and still see the shells on the bottom. It was so beautiful!
We took this little boat out to a coral reef to go snorkeling...
This was just a shot I took over the side of the boat. There were sooooo many tropical fish! We also saw dolphins, a few baracudas, and even a shark!
The little boat made me seasick though, so for most of it Shane snorkeled while I was lying down in the boat feeling like I was going to die. It wasn't fun. But the water & fish were amazing, so I was glad I got to enjoy it for a few minutes at least.
After the boat incident, I spent the rest of the day doing something like this...
This was at dinner on the ship. We ended up with a table to ourselves. We were supposed to have another couple with us, and they came one night, but then never came back. We must be bad company.
We took this cruise to celebrate our 10th anniversary. What a blessing it is to be married to Shane. He is one in a million. Things have been so crazy for us lately, and it was so nice to get away for a while alone. We decided that we're definitely not going to wait TEN YEARS to do it again! Mom and Dad, thank you so much for watching the kids for us!
Vacation Part 3 - Amelia Island
Finally, we were off to Nana & Papa's beach! This was a highly anticipated event, even if one little girl in particular couldn't get in the water.
This is still the preferred mode of transportation to and from the beach, but being the engine is not a desirable job.
Me & my brother Brian...
Nana and Kallie were BFF's this trip. Nana was her constant companion, making sure that the cast stayed dry & sand-free. Thanks Nana! I don't think Nana minded, at least she didn't let on if she did. We laugh so hard at these two, because they truly were cut from the same mold. It is like getting a glimpse of what my mom was like as a child. Or maybe a glimpse of Kallie as an adult...either way, little Kallie is just like her Nana! Which is a really good thing. :)
My boys...
Papa found this really cool hole in the sand. The kids loved it!
We decided that Luke would have swam to Europe if we'd let him. He is a little fishy. We couldn't take our eyes off him for a second.
Here's the whole gang! (Minus the lady behind the camera, of course.)
Seth enjoyed riding the waves this trip!
Kallie's arm was always layered with seran wrap and a trouser sock.
My niece Hannah was scared of the water, but she and Luke LOVED playing in the sand...
They also loved playing with Papa! Luke made up a new game while we were there, and Hannah caught on pretty fast too. He would say, "Night-night Papa!" and Papa would pretent like he was asleep. And then Luke would yell, "Wake up!!!!!" Papa would scream and then they would both squeal with delight! Of course, we ALL got to play their new game about 1,000 times more than we really wanted to.
Luke and Hannah were talking so much more this trip than last time. Poor Luke got a little confused with the whole Hannah and Nana thing, and after a while Nana somehow became Anna, which was actually really cute. He even did it with Grammie, who became Hammie by the end of the week. Luke regularly leaves off consonants though...like chocolate is hau-weh and popsicle is hauhicle.
My favorite day of the trip was the day that Mom & I went out without the kids! We had lunch at Barbara Jean's, had Starbucks while we got our hot stone mani's & pedi's, shopped 'til we dropped, and then had Cheesecake Factory for dinner! What a perfect day!
Mom & Dad took Seth & Kallie to the Magic Kingdom while we were on our cruise, but I don't have pictures. Maybe Mom will post some on her blog, but I won't hold my breath. ;)
This is still the preferred mode of transportation to and from the beach, but being the engine is not a desirable job.
Me & my brother Brian...
Nana and Kallie were BFF's this trip. Nana was her constant companion, making sure that the cast stayed dry & sand-free. Thanks Nana! I don't think Nana minded, at least she didn't let on if she did. We laugh so hard at these two, because they truly were cut from the same mold. It is like getting a glimpse of what my mom was like as a child. Or maybe a glimpse of Kallie as an adult...either way, little Kallie is just like her Nana! Which is a really good thing. :)
My boys...
Papa found this really cool hole in the sand. The kids loved it!
We decided that Luke would have swam to Europe if we'd let him. He is a little fishy. We couldn't take our eyes off him for a second.
Here's the whole gang! (Minus the lady behind the camera, of course.)
Seth enjoyed riding the waves this trip!
Kallie's arm was always layered with seran wrap and a trouser sock.
My niece Hannah was scared of the water, but she and Luke LOVED playing in the sand...
They also loved playing with Papa! Luke made up a new game while we were there, and Hannah caught on pretty fast too. He would say, "Night-night Papa!" and Papa would pretent like he was asleep. And then Luke would yell, "Wake up!!!!!" Papa would scream and then they would both squeal with delight! Of course, we ALL got to play their new game about 1,000 times more than we really wanted to.
Luke and Hannah were talking so much more this trip than last time. Poor Luke got a little confused with the whole Hannah and Nana thing, and after a while Nana somehow became Anna, which was actually really cute. He even did it with Grammie, who became Hammie by the end of the week. Luke regularly leaves off consonants though...like chocolate is hau-weh and popsicle is hauhicle.
My favorite day of the trip was the day that Mom & I went out without the kids! We had lunch at Barbara Jean's, had Starbucks while we got our hot stone mani's & pedi's, shopped 'til we dropped, and then had Cheesecake Factory for dinner! What a perfect day!
Mom & Dad took Seth & Kallie to the Magic Kingdom while we were on our cruise, but I don't have pictures. Maybe Mom will post some on her blog, but I won't hold my breath. ;)
Vacation Part 2 - Albany
From Pensacola we headed straight to Albany, Georgia to visit Jay, Emily, and their 3 girls - Avery, Ally & Annalyse. Once again, Kallie was totally thrilled to get to spend some time with GIRLS her age! (Most of her friends here in town are boys.)
Jay & Emily lived across the street from us at seminary, and Emily and I became such good friends while we were there. Excuse the picture, we took it without makeup and before we'd even had showers...
Shane & Jay needed some attention too...
I LOVE these next two pictures! The first one is new, and the second one is from the last time we visited them...in December of '06. The little ones have changed so much!!
And next time we're there, there will be one more little girl on the end of the couch...Ashley! Jay & Emily are headed to China sometime in the next 3 months to get her! Isn't she beautiful? Click on her picture to read more of her story...
Vacation Part 1 - Pensacola
This year our vacation was at the very end of the summer. I've decided I really like it that way...it gave us something to look forward to! Our first stop was Pensacola, Florida to see our good friends Sheri & Patrick and their girls Emma Grace & Ellie. Kallie had been so excited to see Emma Grace and even brought a "best friends" necklace to give to her. Isn't that the sweetest?
Here they are...
Sheri & Ellie Claire...
Patrick used to be in the air force, and he took us to the National Museum of Naval Aviation on the base. The boys absolutely LOVED it! It was pretty amazing, I have to say.
This picture makes me laugh. Kallie was having a fit because she saw a spider in the cockpit, which explains the very strained smile. She lost it shortly after this.
Sheri & Patrick, we love your sweet family! We know that God has big plans for you in Pensacola. And we love it that we now have a place to stop on our way to Jax!
Here they are...
Sheri & Ellie Claire...
Patrick used to be in the air force, and he took us to the National Museum of Naval Aviation on the base. The boys absolutely LOVED it! It was pretty amazing, I have to say.
This picture makes me laugh. Kallie was having a fit because she saw a spider in the cockpit, which explains the very strained smile. She lost it shortly after this.
Sheri & Patrick, we love your sweet family! We know that God has big plans for you in Pensacola. And we love it that we now have a place to stop on our way to Jax!
Second grade already?!
Today is the first day of school. Seth got all the tears out last night, and woke up happy and ready for his first day of 2nd grade! Shane and I took him out to breakfast this morning and then walked him in to meet his teacher. We were out of town for meet-the-teacher night, so it was a lot for him to take in all at once, but he did great and held it together!
And the first day of 1st grade:
And this is our big 2nd grader:
He has changed so much! Here's the first day of kindergarten:
And the first day of 1st grade:
And this is our big 2nd grader:
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Update on Kallie
Well, Kallie is doing alright today. It was a much worse break than before (last time it was a 15 degree angle, this time it was 30 degrees). Shane said it was a pretty rough experience for her. They even had to do an IV & have Shane leave while they set it (she was consciously sedated). Poor baby. I keep trying to just not think about it. And they couldn't do the waterproof cast since it's a full-arm cast. In fact, the one she has is up to her armpit almost.
Oh, and I forgot to mention how she broke it. She was just running through the living room and tripped (not on anything, just on herself). Our floors are hardwood, so she must have hit it just right in the spot that was already weak from before. The doctor warned us last time that it had a higher chance of re-breaking because of where the break was. Although, only 5% of kids actually re-break at all. He said that we should be encouraged to know that he hasn't really seen any that break it a 3rd time. Let's just hope Kallie doesn't try to break any records.
But I found some cool things online to cheer her up...
Here's the stretchy fabric cast covers I ordered. I thought they'd be cute for school. I got the pink floral one & the solid pink one. Oh, and did I mention that her cast is RED?! Shane said he knew I wouldn't like that, but that he felt too sorry for her to argue with her about color. Never mind that everything she owns is pink! Oh, and she wants me to color black polka dots all over it with a sharpie so that she looks like a ladybug. How cute is that?
And we're looking at waterproof covers too. Pretty nifty, huh? Apparently you can totally swim with them & everything. The doctor said we should be more worried about the sand than the water. We'll just have to wrap it up REALLY good.
I just told her this afternoon that she'd have to wear her cast to Florida. She just cried & cried. Apparently that hadn't crossed her mind. Kids are tough though, so I know she'll be fine once we get there. We had lots of sweet friends come by yesterday...she got lots of popsicles, ice cream, & Daddy promised her a new baby doll.
Thanks so much for your prayers! We are thankful that the most difficult thing we have to deal with right now is a broken arm. PTL!
Here she is enjoying her popsicle & showing off the big red cast. She looks out of it because she was still a little loopy from the medicine.
Oh, and I forgot to mention how she broke it. She was just running through the living room and tripped (not on anything, just on herself). Our floors are hardwood, so she must have hit it just right in the spot that was already weak from before. The doctor warned us last time that it had a higher chance of re-breaking because of where the break was. Although, only 5% of kids actually re-break at all. He said that we should be encouraged to know that he hasn't really seen any that break it a 3rd time. Let's just hope Kallie doesn't try to break any records.
But I found some cool things online to cheer her up...
Here's the stretchy fabric cast covers I ordered. I thought they'd be cute for school. I got the pink floral one & the solid pink one. Oh, and did I mention that her cast is RED?! Shane said he knew I wouldn't like that, but that he felt too sorry for her to argue with her about color. Never mind that everything she owns is pink! Oh, and she wants me to color black polka dots all over it with a sharpie so that she looks like a ladybug. How cute is that?
And we're looking at waterproof covers too. Pretty nifty, huh? Apparently you can totally swim with them & everything. The doctor said we should be more worried about the sand than the water. We'll just have to wrap it up REALLY good.
I just told her this afternoon that she'd have to wear her cast to Florida. She just cried & cried. Apparently that hadn't crossed her mind. Kids are tough though, so I know she'll be fine once we get there. We had lots of sweet friends come by yesterday...she got lots of popsicles, ice cream, & Daddy promised her a new baby doll.
Thanks so much for your prayers! We are thankful that the most difficult thing we have to deal with right now is a broken arm. PTL!
Here she is enjoying her popsicle & showing off the big red cast. She looks out of it because she was still a little loopy from the medicine.
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